Patna: Bihar is planning an educational and spiritual university in collaboration with the Art of Living, combining modern education with Indian knowledge traditions. The proposed institution will include facilities such as a meditation centre, Ayurveda centre and Gurukulam, with students receiving education in both Vedic studies and science.
The initiative follows a meeting between Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the Art of Living International Centre in Bengaluru.
Bihar Seeks Art of Living Institution in the State
After attending the closing ceremony of Bihar Mahotsav, Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and held detailed discussions on education, teacher training, moral education and the promotion of Indian knowledge traditions.
Tiwari requested Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to establish an institution in Bihar similar to Art of Living’s educational initiatives operating across around 180 countries.
The proposed university is expected to give students an opportunity to pursue modern education while also learning about values, mental well-being and India’s traditional knowledge systems.
The university will have a meditation centre, Ayurveda centre and Gurukulam, with Vedic education taught alongside science.
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MoU Between Art of Living and SCERT
Another key outcome of the meeting was an agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Art of Living and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
An Art of Living team will soon visit Patna to hold discussions with Education Department officials and finalise the agreement.
Under the proposed collaboration, teachers at Bihar’s District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) will be introduced to Art of Living courses and training programmes. Teachers who receive the training will subsequently take lessons related to moral education and life values to students.
The programme will initially begin in model schools established as Saraswati Vidya Niketan institutions. It will later be expanded to other schools across Bihar in a phased manner.
The department expects the initiative to contribute to positive changes in the behaviour and outlook of both teachers and students.
No Bag Day to Promote Moral Education
The Art of Living initiative will also be linked with No Bag Day, observed every Saturday in Bihar schools.
On these days, schools will promote Art of Living activities and moral education among students. The aim is to encourage moral, intellectual and value-based learning alongside regular academic education.
The Education Minister stressed that education should go beyond textbook knowledge and help students develop values and a balanced approach to life.
Educational and Spiritual Centre Planned Near Patna
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has also assured the Education Minister that the Art of Living will develop an educational and spiritual centre around Patna.
The proposed centre will have a particular focus on Gaya, Gopalganj, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur, extending the organisation’s activities to different parts of the state.
The Education Department plans to adopt various Art of Living activities after the partnership takes shape. The organisation has already trained around 1,500 officials at BIPARD in Gaya, providing a precedent for extending similar training to Bihar’s teachers.
The next phase will focus on taking such training and value-based programmes into the state’s wider education system.
Focus on Holistic Education in Bihar
The proposed university and school-level programmes represent a broader effort to combine academic learning with values, well-being and traditional knowledge.
For students, the initiative could create greater exposure to meditation, Ayurveda, Indian knowledge traditions and life skills alongside conventional subjects. For teachers, the proposed training programme is intended to provide additional tools for promoting moral and value-based learning in classrooms.
Tiwari also invited Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to visit Thawe Siddhapeeth, one of Bihar’s prominent religious sites. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has agreed to visit Bihar next year.
The proposed university, teacher-training partnership and No Bag Day activities together indicate Bihar’s attempt to bring value-based and holistic education into its formal education system while connecting it with modern scientific learning.
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